Every organisation depends on its board making sound decisions — but boards rarely fail because trustees lack good intentions. They struggle because roles are unclear, meetings drift into administration instead of strategy, or governance structures haven't kept pace with how the organisation has grown. Board Advisory is Meridian's foundational service: independent, board-level support to help your board govern well, not just comply.
Independent assessment of governance frameworks, committee structures, and delegated authority, with practical recommendations to strengthen oversight.
Clarifying trustee roles, sharpening decision-making, and helping boards focus meeting time on strategy rather than operational reporting.
Ensuring your committee framework — finance, risk, safeguarding, nominations — is proportionate and genuinely functional, not just documented.
Clear, board-approved boundaries between what trustees decide and what is delegated to staff or management.
Boards and trustees who sense that governance could be stronger, but aren't sure where the gaps are — often triggered by growth, a new chair, a funder or regulator query, or simply the sense that meetings aren't achieving what they should.
Most Board Advisory work begins with a single independent review — typically a structured assessment against your current governance framework, delegated authority, and board effectiveness, followed by a clear set of practical recommendations.
Some clients take this further with an ongoing retainer, using Meridian as a standing sounding board for governance decisions as they arise.
A confidential, no-obligation conversation about your board's specific position.